Merced police say 44-year-old Allen Brooks told police he thought everyone was in bed when he saw someone in the backyard.
MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A 17-year-old boy is hospitalized in the intensive care unit after police say his father mistook him for an intruder and shot him.
It happened at a home on E. 20th Street around 2 am Sunday.
Merced police say 44-year-old Allen Brooks told police he thought everyone was in bed when he saw someone in the backyard.
As his son came into the kitchen, Brooks thought it was an intruder breaking in and announced he was armed, while demanding the person leave.
As the boy kept moving, police say Brooks fired one round from a 12-gauge shotgun. Moments later, Brooks realized it was his son.
The 17-year-old was rushed into surgery and remains hospitalized with multiple injuries.
Authorities say evidence and interviews support Brooks' account of what happened.